Cube (1997)★★★★☆

I really feel like I shouldn’t like this movie. I mean, the acting isn’t great, the dialogue is awful, and the music is ridiculous.

And yet, somehow, I still think it’s pretty great. Even almost 20 years since its release, I could still watch this movie over and over and over again.

But let’s talk a little bit about what’s wrong with this movie. For one, the cast is not great. I’d say Kazan is really the only truly believable character, with Rennes, Worth, and Leaven following a bit further behind. Quentin and Holloway, though. They’re pretty spectacular over-actors. Though I have to say, it might have been the incredibly expressive faces Quentin makes (especially towards the end of the film) that really made me like this in the first place.

And the dialogue? It’s pretty terrible. I think my favorite example is when Holloway tells Quentin she “wouldn’t survive that” in reference to his wife having three children of relatively close ages, and Quentin replies with “yeah, well she didn’t either.” Not bad, you say? It gets better. Quentin then goes on to say “she’s not dead; we’re just separated.” I’m sorry, what? Who implies someone didn’t survive something when they really just mean they just left him?

And the music is poorly done as well. In particular, the music with the whispering voices. Mostly saying “cha cha cha cha cha cha cha.” That’s nothing if not cloying, I’d say.

But those (fairly major) things aside, the scenario is too damn intriguing to ignore. The cube is a neat concept, there’s a pretty clear allegory for society woven in there, and the whole thing is creepy and suspenseful. Somehow this movie simultaneously makes me furious and keeps me at the edge of my seat. Overall, this is a movie that I’d recommend to almost anyone.